The Pride of Howard County

by Kevin Bachman

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  The past year on the farm working alongside and living with Gus had been a life defining experience for John. He could hardly stand the thought of it ending this way. Abby needed her father and he needed this friendship.

  Abby and John spent a couple of days strolling around the hospital grounds sharing their lives with each other. They sat on the park like benches beneath the shade trees and became deep friends. Neither had ever married or had children and yet both had lived interesting lives of intense highs and crushing lows. These two people felt the special bond that people in recovery share. They lacked the fears, the inhibitions most people have when it comes to sharing the stories their lives had been. Both Abby and John spent many years of their lives carrying the heavy load of keeping their secrets and both had felt the magic that only honesty could bring.

  John was extremely grateful Abby was able to stay with Gus while he got back to work on the farm. In the evenings he was able to sit with her and Gus while she caught him up on the latest progress her dad was or wasn’t making.

  Terry gave John emotional support and even tried to help out with the farm work. John found himself smiling as he watched his partner clean out the chicken coop after he’d ran like hell from the rooster.

  Terry spent the weekends at John’s little guest house but had to get back to his job on Monday’s They spoke on the phone a couple of times a day during the week and a few times Terry came to the hospital joining Abby and John at Gus’s bedside. Terry’s support meant a lot to John. Somehow, someway he promised to make it up to Terry but he’d dismiss it saying, “You’d do the same for me.”

  One evening as John and Terry were leaving the hospital, Abby gave them both a big hug and told each of them that she loved them. They each told her that they loved her. A few moments later in the hospital parking lot as the two men were preparing to go their separate ways they gave each other a hug and told each other, “I love you.” As awkward as it was for John to say such a thing it opened a door that had been slammed shut many years ago.

  John had checked on the cattle and was bailing some hay he’d cut a few days earlier when he received a text from Abby. She told him he might want to come down to the hospital as there was something he might want to see.

  The young farmer raced to Columbia trying not to allow his mind to run away with any thoughts either good or bad. As he walked past the nurse’s station he noticed all four of the nurse’s were looking at him and beaming smiles. He took this as good news and practically ran the rest of the way to Gus’s room. When he rounded the corner he could hardly believe his eyes. There was Abby standing beside Gus who was sitting up in bed with a rather embarrassed expression on his face. They both looked at him as he came up to Gus’s bed. It wasn’t until the old farmer spoke in a soft voice that he knew the old Gus was back.

  “Well, looky what the cat drug in.” Gus was weak and frail, his muscles had withered but his mind was there. The modest farmer was rather shy about all the attention he was receiving but was deeply grateful John and Abby were there. John didn’t know whether he was going to laugh or cry but as luck would have it he laughed. Gus asked him if he’d met his daughter. John said he had. As proud as a peacock he asked, “Ain’t she pretty?” John said, “Yeah she’s pretty, but she gets that from her mother.”

  They all smiled as the witty old farmer winked at his very lovely daughter.